Method of preparing storage-battery separators



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

CAMPBELL C. CARPENTER, 0F NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO U. S.LIGHT & HEAT CORPORATION, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OFNEW Patented Nov. 22,1921.

YORK.

METHOD OF PREPARING STORAGE-BATTERY SEPARATORS.

1,398,065, Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing. Application filed February 14, 1921. Serial No. 444,736.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CAMPBELL C. CAR- PENTER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State ofNew York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods ofPreparing Storage- Battery Separators, of which the 'following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to methods of preparing storage batteryseparators.

Various means have been devised for separating the plates in a storagebattery cell. 00d separators are commonly used for this purpose, butmost woods, which are suitable for the purpose, contain certainsubstances which in service react with the lead in the cell in a harmfulway. Various methods have been devised for treating wood to eliminate orminimize this harmful effect.

An object of the present invention is to devise a method for removingharmful constituents from wood, which method will be effective andcheap.

A further object is to provide a method for treating wood in thepreparation of separators which will not weaken the structure of thewood.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

According to the present invention, pieces of wood which have been cutsubstantially to the thickness required for st rage battery separators,are treated with a solution of lead compounds whereb'y those-substancesin the wood which attack lead may have an opportunity to combine withthe lead inthis solution. In order that the solution may more readilycome in contact with the substances referred to, it is preferable thatthe wood be given a preliminary treatment to open the pores. Thispreliminary treatment may be accomplished by soaking the wood in water,or by treating with steam, for a sufficient length of time to open thepores.

There are a great number of soluble lead compounds which may be used, asfor instance, lead fluosilicate, lead chlorid, sodium plumbate, and manyothers. The solution may be used hot or cold, depending upon the natureof the lead salt used, as certain lead salts will, of necessity, have tobe used hot binations formed by the chemical reaction may be washed fromthe wood with water, after which said wood is ready for service as astorage battery separator.

Instead of using a liquid as the carrier of the lead salt, humid steammay be used. Pieces of wood may be stacked in a steam chest with leadcompounds in powdered form or paste form placed between said pieces ofwood. The wood, with the lead compounds, will be enveloped in anatmosphere of humid steam, which will open the pores of the wood anddissolve the lead compounds. Said lead compounds will combine with thoseconstituents of the wood which attack lead, the resulting products ofwhich combination will trickle away from the thus opening up the pores,then treated with lead compounds in powdered or paste form,

and while kept in a moist condition, exposed to the air, whereby thelead compounds will react with those constituents of wood that attacklead. The resulting compounds may then be removed in any preferred way,for instance, by washing with water orby treatin with steam.

any modifications of the present invention will occur to those skilledin the art. It is intended in this patent to cover all suchmodifications that come within the scope of the invention as defined bythe appended claims. 7

' What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is:

1.v The method of preparing storage battery separators which consists intreating I wood with a lead compound,

2. The method of preparing storage bat-- tery separators which consistsin treating wood to open the pores thereof and subjecting said wood to asoluble lead compound to permit the substances in the wood which attacklead to combine with the lead in said solution.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CAMPBELL C. CARPENTER.

in order to keep same in solution. The com-

